Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $47,710
- Median hourly wage: $22.94
- Total employment: 200 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Greenville, North Carolina that don't require a college degree
Gen Z has figured out that college isn't the only way to land a high-paying job. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 in 5 (38.6%) of recent high school graduates opted out of college in 2023, up from 33.8% in 2019.
This shift comes at a good time for high school grads, as companies face labor shortages for many jobs that don't require a college degree. Baby boomers retiring and a trend to reopen factories in the United States have both driven demand for young talent. A July 2024 Intelligent report found that 1 in 3 companies have already dropped bachelor's degree requirements across entry-level, mid-tier, and even senior positions to attract more employees.
The need for skilled workers, regardless of educational attainment, means better pay. Median wages for those with a high school degree are at their highest since 1990, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
At $40,000 on average, these wages are still $20,000 lower than those of a college grad. Yet nearly 1 in 5 workers who opt out of college earn more than employees with bachelor's degrees. Two million high school grads across the U.S. make six-figure annual salaries—without the financial burden of attending a four-year university. As of 2025, the average annual cost of college is more than $38,200 per student, and the average college graduate has more than $39,000 in student debt. It's little wonder that, according to a May 2024 survey from Pew Research, 29% of Americans think attending college is not worthwhile.
However, not every career field pays high school grads equally well, and understanding what the good jobs are is the first step to landing one. Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree in Greenville using annual compensation data from the BLS. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirements for entry-level positions. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
You may also like: Greenville, North Carolina 7-day weather forecast
Kot500 // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $48,580
- Median hourly wage: $23.36
- Total employment: 180 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $48,690
- Median hourly wage: $23.41
- Total employment: 80 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $48,780
- Median hourly wage: $23.45
- Total employment: 150 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
XiXinXing // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Medical records specialists
- Median annual wage: $49,350
- Median hourly wage: $23.73
- Total employment: 330 people (4.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated barbecue restaurants in the Greenville, North Carolina area by diners
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $50,300
- Median hourly wage: $24.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $50,620
- Median hourly wage: $24.34
- Total employment: 80 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $51,160
- Median hourly wage: $24.60
- Total employment: 510 people (6.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $51,300
- Median hourly wage: $24.66
- Total employment: 130 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $51,710
- Median hourly wage: $24.86
- Total employment: 200 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Top 25 songs in Greenville, North Carolina on Shazam in the past week
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $51,740
- Median hourly wage: $24.87
- Total employment: 210 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $52,110
- Median hourly wage: $25.05
- Total employment: 60 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
13 / 50#37. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,140
- Median hourly wage: $25.55
- Total employment: 230 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,140
- Median hourly wage: $25.55
- Total employment: 30 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $53,480
- Median hourly wage: $25.71
- Total employment: 470 people (5.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated brunch restaurants in Greenville, North Carolina
Bigflick // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $53,920
- Median hourly wage: $25.92
- Total employment: 140 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $54,620
- Median hourly wage: $26.26
- Total employment: 160 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $55,540
- Median hourly wage: $26.70
- Total employment: 190 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Median annual wage: $55,850
- Median hourly wage: $26.85
- Total employment: 50 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $56,340
- Median hourly wage: $27.09
- Total employment: 610 people (7.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying management jobs in Greenville, North Carolina
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $56,380
- Median hourly wage: $27.11
- Total employment: 200 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,440
- Median hourly wage: $27.13
- Total employment: 450 people (5.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $56,510
- Median hourly wage: $27.17
- Total employment: 390 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $56,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.33
- Total employment: 540 people (6.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $57,590
- Median hourly wage: $27.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in Greenville, North Carolina
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $57,710
- Median hourly wage: $27.75
- Total employment: 530 people (6.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $57,720
- Median hourly wage: $27.75
- Total employment: 80 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,320
- Median hourly wage: $28.04
- Total employment: 220 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $58,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.08
- Total employment: 60 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $58,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.32
- Total employment: 290 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Coat drives near Greenville, North Carolina
Jat306 // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 50 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $59,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $59,540
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 270 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,780
- Median hourly wage: $28.74
- Total employment: 220 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $60,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.85
- Total employment: 30 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Greenville, North Carolina that require a bachelor's degree
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,130
- Median hourly wage: $29.39
- Total employment: 140 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $61,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 140 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $61,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 70 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $63,130
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 80 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Greenville, North Carolina that require a bachelor's degree
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $65,050
- Median hourly wage: $31.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $67,280
- Median hourly wage: $32.35
- Total employment: 90 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $67,680
- Median hourly wage: $32.54
- Total employment: 300 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $68,400
- Median hourly wage: $32.88
- Total employment: 60 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $72,090
- Median hourly wage: $34.66
- Total employment: 490 people (6.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Greenville, North Carolina area by diners
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $74,030
- Median hourly wage: $35.59
- Total employment: 110 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $74,050
- Median hourly wage: $35.60
- Total employment: 110 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $75,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.18
- Total employment: 140 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $76,500
- Median hourly wage: $36.78
- Total employment: 250 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $100,510
- Median hourly wage: $48.32
- Total employment: 90 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
You may also like: Highest-rated dessert shops in the Greenville, North Carolina area by diners
